Preliminary Business

A Topic is Chosen

Mr. Bill Heeren, our chemistry teacher here at D.C. Everest, first suggested the topic of photovoltaics to us. Originally, we were just going to do some general research, but we decided that we would try to create PVs in our high school setting. We believed that the project was unachievable; however, our contact wrote, "I believe... [the project] is both ambitious and achievable."

A Wild Goose Chase

We found, in our preliminary research, that scientists were making cells out of polymers, and we considered contacting a local professor to pursue this angle. However, we scrapped this idea due to the fact that polymer technology is still underdeveloloped and produces less efficient cells. We dubbed this option our "wild goose chase."

Contacts are Made

Employees from several professional corporations served as contacts, producing technical advice and materials grants. Without the help from these individuals, the project would have been impossible.

Materials are Recieved

Through Sandia Labs and another corporation, we recieved all of the hard-to-find materials to make PV cells. One contact at a different corporation gave most of the advice on the actual procedure, helping a great deal.